About
What Is It?
A charity that offers “the comforts of home and community” — including meals, accommodations, Jewish chaplaincy, child care, and transportation — to patients who come to the Texas Medical Center from around the world.
Help Needed:
Deliver meals, create holiday food or crafts for patients, help care for children of patients or family members, sing holiday songs for patient families, and perform other helpful tasks. Please contact Aishel House for COVID-related updates.
Details
Minimum Age to Volunteer
Volunteers aged 10-12 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers must be 13 to participate in the Junior Volunteer Program.
Time Commitment
Must commit to volunteering at least six times a year.
Suitable for Groups of Volunteers?
Yes. “Everyone at Aishel House loves it when a group of friendly volunteers comes together. There are several group volunteer opportunities at Aishel House. Food from Friends, Gardening, Musical or Art evenings are some of the group-friendly volunteer programs we have available.” Contact Aishel House for more information.
Training Needed
To best ensure that volunteers are matched up where they can be most effective, there is a screening process to volunteer at Aishel House. The screening process consists of three steps:
1) Fill out the volunteer signup form
2) In-person interview
3) Volunteer orientation
Help Needed
HOLIDAY CHEER PROJECT
Get together and create uplifting gifts, of food or crafts, which are given to the patients. These projects take place around the holidays and feature holiday themes.
NIGUN FOR THE NESHAMA (“Melody for the Soul”)
Musically talented volunteers visit with patients and lift their spirits with song. These events are usually arranged during holiday seasons.
CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
Sometimes patients or their family members at the hospital are accompanied by young children. Volunteers help look after these children so parents can be free to attend to other needs.
MITZVAH WHEELS PROJECT
Teens who qualify for the Mitzvah Wheels Project can:
• Pick up or drop off patients and their family members at the airport.
• Take a patient or family member to get out a little and do some shopping, whether for groceries or just for fun – going to a mall, for example, or doing some sightseeing.
• Do grocery shopping for a family who simply cannot get out and do so on their own.
• Deliver a warm meal to the hospital or to a patient’s accommodations.
Contact Details
Contact
For more information, visit the volunteer page on the Aishel House website.
Website
http://www.aishelhouse.org/Location
AISHEL HOUSE
Houston, Texas 77030
Location Details
Houston, Texas 77030
Additional Information
Introduction to Aishel House Video (1 minute 47 seconds) (2012)
Examples of past Scout projects
Eagle: Adam F., Troop 806, organized a maintenance and cleanup project at an apartment owned by Aishel House. Adam and his group of Scouts touched up walls and floors in the apartment with paint and wood stain, replaced the kitchen floor and added shelving, repainted the porch, power-washed the driveway and cleaned throughout the apartment. (2008)
Max K., Troop 806, renovated an apartment owned by Aishel House. It was in poor condition, and Max cleaned it and made complicated repairs to make it liveable. (2011)
Eagle: Researched appropriate herbs and created an herb garden for use in cooking patient/family meals.
Gallery
I am very interested in helping people with this program! Only problem is I am not able to drive yet. I am getting my license towards the end if summer but I would love to help with the other activities.
Hi there, thanks for your interest in Aishel House! I would suggest reaching out to Rachel at Aishel House by emailing volunteer@aishelhouse.org, or calling 713-522-2004, to see if you can help with other activities. – Claire